The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-09
GlIp lnteAdqsiErer
wHGELlsa. W. VA. nEvEMuENs .. 1887



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... lila Wool Tarin Ideas.
Tho frat impression Of the people end
the p.esg In regard to President Clsye-
lands messaso was that he Was frank
pnd honcnt, although aadly mis'aken. II
looks nov as II this imprCssion will have
to b. revised. Hin remarks upon tho
wool tariff are peculiar, aud can be- ex.
plniusd only on ono ottwo grounds: That
lie is personally grossly ignorant and lack.
ing In perception, and has accepted the
theories Of unworthy and designing sd.
yisora; or tina. he 10 not sincere in hls pro.
fesaion that he seeks tho good Of the
county through tho reduction OF the BUR.
plus. Flo says in HIS message:
Tho farmer and tho agriculturis! who
manufacture nothing, but who pay the in
creased price which the turif imposes
upon every agricultural implement, upon
all he waara sud upon oil he uses and
owns. except tho incraaue OF his looks and
herla and ouch things as his h,lsbandry
produces from tho soil, is invited 10 aid In
maintaining the present situation, and he
10 told that high duty on imported wool
is necesuary for tho benefit Of thoso who
have eheep 10 ehear In ord:r that the
price OF their wool may DO increased.
They, OF courae, are not reminded that the
farmer who has no sheep Is by this
scheme obliged in his purchases OF cloth.
ing and woolen goods to pay Il tribute to
his fellow larmsr as we'll as tho mauutac.
turere and merchant; nor Is any mention
made OF tho fact that tho sheep
owueys themselvee and their households
must wear clothing and use other grliclea
mGnuta ;tured from the wool they sell ct
tariff prices, and thus ug consume1n must
return their share oil tho increased prics to
the tradGsnsn. 3ts0H.
This reads strangely like tho apsech OF
o demagogue. Remembering that these
points ura os.ensibly advanced in support
Of recommendation tina. tho revenues bs
reduced, ore they consistsnt with the idea
that tho document 10 an honest and
straightforward, as well as an cble, effort
10 support HE position? The President
continues:
When the nunbe, OF farmers engaged
IN wool.raislng Is compared with all the
farmers in ths country, and the small
proportion they bear to cur population ia
considered; when it ID made apparent
that, in the casa OF large ps:t Of those
who owa sheep, tho bsnoH. Of the present
tsriI on wool ia illusory, and above all,
when il must bs conceded tha! the in
creaeo OF the cost Of living caused by ouch
tariff, becomes burden upon those with
moderate means and the poor, the en-
ployed and unemployed, :he sick and
vol, aud the young and old, ard that it
grasp, is faa.ened upon tho clothing OF
every man, woman and child in the land,
reasons are suggested why the removal or
reduction OF this duty should be included
In q revision Of our tastI lava.
Itwould have been more to The purpose
had the President candldly and honeatly
gone into 4 confederation as tc whether
the step ho recomu ents would contribute
to thu end he claimed to have in view
tho reduction OF the revenues. Would
it? Hers is an argument from recent
history:
The nnnual revenue derived from the
imports Of wool under the tariff Of 1867
was less than A.700,0O0; under the re-
was over iiva miiI;nna The s,rmbsS- eS ~
nheop in the country in 1854 was $685.
o.o; IN o ISL @,o Az ,I69'3l5, y decrease OF
annns Oo ~,o Mu II n nt 5 nne
pounds, thus showing that ra,ncinr s' the
tariff by the ect of 1858 hso increased the
ieVenue from In ported woois and dimin..
S untu l,io o na1oSt u snoep III Tue Unl.ee
nusl uroduct in ths sanc nrnn ut nv "n
Did tina piesident know thisp t. rot
his preparation for hia mes,,oe nnst hcvo
been bas.y md c,re,asa IN tho .rtron,a
II hs did know It, and vet recommends
this action. and in the foca NJ ,be foct ca
ap.ly rsisrred 10 nv tho Woo, Groy,sra,
Conference in their action nm T,oadov
that II the whole amount of tho rayonno
derived from wool WAS sbolishel !. would
reduce tho surplu7 only about ev, Mill.
ions, or les, than than tan csn,a nor c,n;,o
Of tho population, thon vhc. Ia 10 ba naid
of bis action. oxcsn. thot Il ia n wontor
and seusslcss as,onl. on an ,mnortor, IN.
dus.ry? =,
The President Esvs tho honoO., ., tho
present tariff on WOOL sra ",lu.orv {" ~
come extent ,hpy are ,becanse tho tar;g 10
not ADEQUATE, Tho dntv m ;,nror,s ~
wool was increased in 1857 and dur;na
tho sixteen yesra that tariff wa, in ;o.os
the annual wool cl;pot TIM conr,rv ,,o,a,.
ly increased from 100 600 600 pounds IN
1867 to s37 800 600 in 1854 while tho i'm,
por,s OF wool shovod lit,ln ;nc-c,, M r.r-
inc from 81 sl5, os4 pounds in 1870 r. 70
g. 49, 80 = " coi-